True Colours
by Dawnspirit
Summary: A story that revolves around Jano and his past. Major alteration to chapter three! And a few little alterations to the other chapters.
1. Default Chapter

True colours.  
  
A/N: Alright, I am completely sick of never seeing Jano, the guardian of the cave of bad dreams getting featured in a fanfiction. TurquoisePhoenix seems to be doing something about that and now I'm going to as well. I've had to alter the song a bit.  
  
Disclaimer: You know damn well what's mine and what isn't. *Throws a bored look at no-one in particular* But just for the record, Sasha's mine, none of the other characters are mine and the song "True colours" certainly isn't mine. Happy now? Good. This disclaimer is for the entire story.  
  
The entrance to the Cave of Bad Dreams was surrounded by wasteland and the few trees dotted here and there were completely bare. A chilly wind moved restlessly across the dull purple mist, which constantly hung over the land. Two figures, barely able to see their way, even with the aid of a torch were coming through this mist.  
  
"Face it, we're lost!"  
  
"We are not lost. Shine the torch over here!" The torch bearer who, judging by her voice, was female, moved the beam to illuminate the worlds guardian Rayman. He was waving his hand impatiently.  
  
"Come on Sasha!" Sasha moved into his line of vision and revealed herself as a tall, 18 year old girl, wearing a green leotard with brown shorts. A gunbelt was strapped onto the shorts and a pistol was sitting in each holster. She had ice blue eyes, which were darting over the little that she could see.  
  
"I don't like this place, Rayman it feels like someone's watching us." "No-ones watching 'cos no-one else is crazy enough to be here." Sasha did not answer but if someone had looked her in the eye, they would have observed a sceptical glint.  
  
* * *  
  
Jano, the keeper of the cave of bad dreams was a sight to freeze the blood. He had seen people die of fright just by looking him in the eye. Jano had no legs, he moved around by bouncing. His green tinted grey body was just a sphere of muscle and his razor sharp teeth were capable of biting a man's arm off. Jano had only one eye but this eye was 10 times as powerful as any other eye. This creature had been banished to the Cave of bad dreams many years before the arrival of Rayman and, during that time, had only ever been defeated by one person and this person was Rayman. Rayman and Jano had remained friends and now, six months after their battle, Rayman had noticed that Jano was unhappy. And, accompanied by his friend Sasha, who was excellent at getting people to talk by using the kind or not so kind manner, he was determined to find out why.  
  
* * *  
  
"How much further?!"  
  
"Not far, the entrance is around here somewhere." Rayman stopped and scanned the surroundings. He turned towards the pounding footsteps behind him, just in time to see Sasha fall headlong over something.  
  
"Ouch, damn!" he heard her gasp as her face made contact with the floor.  
  
"You ok?"  
  
"Fine." She stood up and brushed dirt off of her clothes, a red flush appearing on her face.  
  
"What did you fall over?" "Don't know." Sasha flashed the torch at her feet and seconds later wished she hadn't. Rayman glanced at the object under the beam.  
  
"Is that a ."  
  
"Yup. Human skeleton." Sasha crouched down to examine it. "I thought that there had never been any other humans here except me?"  
  
"Yeah, that's what I thought." Rayman looked curiously at it. "C'mon lets go." Sasha tore her eyes away from the skeleton and followed Rayman over to a solid rock that stood hundreds of feet high and miles wide. Sasha illuminated it and the beam revealed a swirling mass of blue and yellow.  
  
"After you."  
  
Sasha waited until Rayman had disappeared through the revolving mixture of colours and cast a look at the view behind her. Not much of a view, all she could see was the mist. The torchlight flickered and went out and she thought she heard someone cough behind her. She launched herself at the door. The sight that met her eyes on the other of side of it was enough to transfix her for a moment. She was standing in a long blue tunnel on a pure white bridge that resembled the ribs of an elephant. The cobwebs hanging from the ceiling looked ancient and the frequent echoes that seemed as if they were made by nothing didn't help either.  
  
"Gun out d'you reckon?" Rayman nodded.  
  
"There's no telling what you could run into here." On advancing forwards, a rustling came to the ear and there was a sharp click as Sasha released the safety. They moved onward carefully and saw a long spindly arm sticking out of a wall, apparently waiting to push them off the ledge. Rayman murmured instructions to Sasha.  
  
"Get as close as you can, stop just out of its range, then shoot."  
  
"You know I'm a useless shot! Why can't you do it?" She hissed "If I do it, it'll only give us enough time to get up to the ledge. If you shoot it, it'll give us enough time to get past." Sasha moved forward with a facial expression that clearly asked "Why me?" The bang echoed eerily and when the smoke cleared, the hand had disappeared. Rayman and Sasha charged along the ledge and dragged themselves up the wall opposite. There was no time for conversation now, as the pillars that they had to walk on were not strong enough to hold their weight and when any pressure was applied to them, they sunk into the black gunk. There was no time for hesitation and Sasha almost got eaten a monster guarding a pedestal. Luckily, she was ready for it and dealt it a heavy back-hander that almost snapped it in two.  
  
"So what now?" enquired Sasha as the third and final monster was killed.  
  
"Hang on." Rayman lifted a large yellow sphere onto its pedestal. A section of the rock lifted and hung in mid air.  
  
"C'mon, lets go."  
  
* * *  
  
Jano was jerked out of his sad and lonely thoughts by hearing two voices. He couldn't identify whom they belonged to, nor could he identify what they were saying. All he could tell was that one was male, the other female. Jano moved off towards his normal ambush point and hid quietly in the shadows.  
  
* * *  
  
Sasha and Rayman charged on down the dark and cobwebby passage. After running in pitch-blackness for more than ten minutes, they arrived short of breath and cold, in a damp cave with two spheres and two pedestals.  
  
"At least we don't have to go and get them this time." gasped Rayman, in reference to the spheres.  
  
"Yeah, that's something to be grateful for," answered Sasha, digging her knuckles into her side to fight off the pain of a stitch. "It'll be a lot easier this time." As if in contradiction to Sasha's words, a soft rustling became audible.  
  
"Or not." Rayman and Sasha stood paralysed for a second. The rustling got louder as it got closer to the cave. Rayman and Sasha realised what it was at exactly the same moment and both threw themselves at a sphere and jammed it onto a pedestal. The gate creaked as though in protest and dust fell from the mechanisms as it slowly opened.  
  
"C'mon, c'mon c'mon!" Shouted Sasha whilst jumping up and down on the spot, her stitch forgotten. "Hurry up!!" She cast a look over her shoulder, then turned her wild eyes on the gate. Rayman swung his fist back and sent his most powerful shot at the gate. A noise like thunder drowned out the sinister rustling for a moment while the gate gathered speed.  
  
"Quick!" Rayman pushed Sasha through the opening and then jumped through himself. Thousands of jet-black caterpillars poured into the cave, and the gate, having opened was now refusing to close.  
  
* * *  
  
Jano had been listening to their voices and it was he who had sent the caterpillars and jammed the gate, and with a stab of horror, he recognised the two voices as Rayman's and Sasha's. Even the best two fighters in the land would have no chance against that number of caterpillars. Jano emerged from the shadows and bounced at top speed to the gate. His powerful eye saw Sasha and Rayman struggling with the gate.  
  
"Close!" he shouted. The gate slammed shut, plunging the surroundings into darkness. The only sounds piercing the still air were Sasha and Rayman's heavy breathing.  
  
"You two ok are you? You're not hurt?"  
  
"Well I'm not dead if that's what you mean!"  
  
"We're ok Jano." Rayman gasped, in an attempt to soften the blow inflicted by Sasha's words. He tried to slow his breathing and although he could not see her face, he knew that Sasha had a look on it that had "Speak for yourself" written all over it.  
  
"What the hell was that for?" Jano looked Sasha in the eye and if looks could kill. Jano looked away from Sasha's glare, forgetting that she couldn't actually see him. He sighed.  
  
"Follow me."  
  
"I would if I could see you." Sasha's voice was laced with sarcasm but Jano knew that there was no real malice in it.  
  
"I'm going to touch your arm, I'll guide you."  
  
"Ok." Jano closed his hand around Sasha's wrist, and to his surprise, she didn't flinch. He led her down into the Cave with Rayman following the sound made by her boots. After leading them through miles of cold, damp, cobwebby passages, Jano brought Rayman and Sasha into the Cave of Bad Dreams, which was brightly lit by enormous flaming torches and despite its name, was actually quite cheerful. Jano created two floating skulls and Rayman sat on one of them and nodded towards the other when Sasha threw him a questioning glance.  
  
"You can sit on that." Jano and Rayman were amused for a good ten minutes by Sasha trying to balance herself on the skull and failing miserably. She finally lost patience when the skull disintegrated into smoke from underneath her and she sat on the floor. She exchanged a quick glance with Rayman and he nodded slightly. Sasha brushed her hair out of her face and looked at Jano.  
  
"Look Jano, How long is it since Rayman defeated you? Six months?"  
  
"Yes." Jano had a horrible feeling that he knew where this conversation was heading and he didn't want to talk about that, Rayman would be disgusted with him for it and- Jano glanced at Sasha's blue eyes and the guns and her well trained fists. Sasha wouldn't exactly be presenting him with a medal for it either.  
  
"D'you consider him a friend?"  
  
"I do."  
  
"And I've known you for how long? Three months?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And d'you think you could call me friend?"  
  
"Of course I can."  
  
"Good. Now a good friend can always tell when something's bothering another friend. They know when that friend needs to talk and is just pretending that they don't want to talk. Do you call me and Rayman good friends?"  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"Right so what's upsetting you? I can read you like I read a book and there's something wrong and don't try denying it."  
  
Jano was stunned. Sasha could sound comforting and look threatening at the same time and Rayman was giving him the same piercing gaze that she did. He was torn between feeling infuriated with her and grateful to her. She was right, there was something wrong and he did want to talk. but to Rayman and Sasha? They might turn on him and he didn't think he could bear to lose the only friends he had ever had.  
  
"Did you know that someone can tell a good friend absolutely anything and the friend will always be there for them?" Sasha can read minds! Thought Jano in disbelief.  
  
"Jano, if you think for minute that I'm going to sit here and watch you waste away when there is no need for it, you have no idea how far off the mark you are! And unless I'm very much mistaken, I don't think Sasha's going to stand for it either!" Rayman coloured slightly as Sasha and Jano looked at him after this outburst. Jano groaned inwardly as he realised that he couldn't win.  
  
"Alright, I'll tell you. But It's difficult. I don't know where to start, It's just. so difficult.." Rayman leant forward and Sasha spoke quietly.  
  
"Carry on Jano. Take your time." Jano glanced around the cave and thought bitterly how good a friend that she was and wished that he could be like her.  
  
"Well, I suppose I should start at the beginning if you want to understand this properly. I am the last surviving member of a species called cyclopics monstropes. That means Cyclops monster. There used to be thousands of us before the elders tried to take this world over."  
  
"My species were, shall we say, not the most pleasant of creatures, they killed for fun and often for no reason. We were hated by everyone and rejected by everyone. When I say the elders, I mean the monsters that had existed since the dawn of time. These elders were my parents. My mother was called Jana, my father was called Jano and it is him that I take my name from. We were growing in strength and if anyone stood up to us, they would be killed. I was disowned by my parents because I could see that what they were doing was wrong. Understanding the difference between right, wrong, fair and unfair should not be characteristics in a creature of my kind. Despite the people I have killed in here, I never wanted to kill any of them but they wouldn't go. I am not a killer, and that is why my parents disowned me."  
  
"It was expected by the elders that the younger of their kind should obey their every order. Toward the end of their lives, we had taken millions of inhabitants of this world prisoner, constructed our own buildings and generally mutilated this world. My parents told me that they had thousands of prisoners contained in the torture chambers and that I was to be the one to kill them. I refused and my father gave me one more chance. I tried. I did go down to the torture chambers with the intention of killing them but when I saw them."  
  
Jano's voice trailed off, and to their horror, Rayman and Sasha saw tears welling up in his single eye.  
  
"When I saw them, I saw innocence. They were terrified and they'd done nothing wrong. I saw children there and the way they looked at me. Well, I opened the escape route, I let them go."  
  
Rayman nodded slightly as Sasha muttered "Damn right too!"  
  
"But they stared at me as though I was crazy." Jano continued, as though Sasha had not interrupted. "It was obvious they were thinking that I was some sort of freak, they had reached the conclusion that all of my kind were heartless, ruthless murderers. But then, there was one of them showing mercy, letting them go."  
  
"But surely that showed them who you really were!" Exclaimed Sasha.  
  
"No. When it sunk in that they were going to get away, they all filed out, and every one of them stared at me as they left, still with the same mistrust and disgust, even though I was releasing them."  
  
"When I returned to my parents and told them what I had done, they were furious."  
  
Jano broke off and shivered, obviously recalling painful memories.  
  
"All you need to know is that they told me to go and never to show my face again. Before I left, they told me that they were going to take over the entire world and that I would die with the rest. They were going to murder everyone outside of our species and they no longer considered me their son. I knew that they were perfectly capable of taking everything over with the amount of power and they held over everyone and the fear that they induced. I had to stop them but I was nowhere near powerful enough, I was just a child. I needed help to stop them."  
  
"Remember that Polokus has also existed since the dawn of time and to the young mind, he seemed the only hope. This was long before he left this world and he was commonly seen among the people so it was easy for me to find him. It never occurred to me that he would judge me by my species and not who I really was. I was too innocent at that stage, I had no idea what the consequences of showing my face among the people would be. The first thing he did when I found him, was to throw a spell at me. That spell prevented me from moving. They say that even he feared us and I think that that particular incident confirms that. He let me speak and I explained about the attack that my parents were planning. He didn't believe me at first but he had to eventually because the attack happened while we were talking. My parents had underestimated his powers badly. They had recruited the entire of their species for the attack and they were all coming on to Polokus but he destroyed them without any trouble at all."  
  
"Soon I was the only evidence that cyclopics monstropes had ever existed. I thought that the attack would convince him that I was speaking the truth."  
  
A bitter smile twisted Jano's face as he looked at the horrified expression on Sasha's face and almost felt the fury radiating from Rayman.  
  
"I couldn't have been further from the mark. Polokus thought that I had been sent to distract him, so that my people could attack him with his guard down. I'll say this for him; he did put it to the fairy council but they all agreed with him, except one, a fairy I believe. It was concluded that I was guilty and that I was to be imprisoned here to the end of time."  
  
Sasha interrupted.  
  
"But you were innocent! You were just a child for Gods sake! What did Polokus think he was playing at?!"  
  
Jano was almost amused by her indignation.  
  
"He was thinking about the safety of his people. He honestly thought I was a hazard."  
  
"But you don't send a child to a place like this! That's not good enough! He's supposed to be wise! Couldn't he see who you really were? Couldn't he tell that you were just a child?" Jano remained silent and seemed oblivious to the tears welling up in his single eye. Sasha looked at Rayman.  
  
"Obviously he couldn't." She muttered in complete disgust. Rayman nodded in agreement, evidently afraid of the words that might come pouring out if he opened his mouth.  
  
"How long have you been here Jano?" The tears started to pour.  
  
"Four hundred years."  
  
"Four hundred.?!" There was a definite squeak to her voice now, showing that she was so furious that she could hardly speak. Rayman dropped from the skull and placed a hand on Jano's body. Sasha got up and moved towards them. She knelt down next to the distraught Guardian and wiped away some of the tears away.  
  
"The guardian to the Cave of bad dreams isn't the real you is it? That's not your. not your true colours is it? I've seen someone else. Someone who wants to be friends with the other creatures in the world. Someone who deserves that. Someone who's afraid. Someone who has been misjudged badly. I don't think the guardian is the real you. I'm right aren't I?"  
  
Jano struggled to speak and Sasha waited.  
  
"That's what this place does to you."  
  
"Jano, I'm sorry to ask you this but I've got to. How is it that you are the Guardian? Any arch idiot can see that Polokus doesn't trust you."  
  
Jano smiled, but it was a horrible bitter smile.  
  
"You a sharp girl Sasha! There's no getting past you is there? I was never actually appointed the Guardian, I took it upon myself. Shortly after I was banished, I saw how dangerous some of the creatures contained here were. If they escaped, the world would be in serious trouble and they were perfectly capable of escaping and no one else was going to stop them so I figured that it was up to me. That is why I tend to attack everyone who ventures in here, in case they unleash the monsters in here. Rayman has been the only person to defeat me but he was fighting for good. If he had been fighting for evil, I dread to think what might have happened."  
  
"But if the monsters can escape, why don't you? Ok so it's not exactly the most easy journey in the world, but it's not impossible!".  
  
"I can't. The people, they.they won't want a monster in their midst."  
  
"You are not a monster!"  
  
"Yes I am. And anyway, I'm afraid to face them. They would overwhelm me. Remember I am the only surviving creature of my kind. Everyone remembers them and the attack on Polokus but no one knows that there is still one in existence. Can you think how they would panic if I showed myself? We were classed as creatures of evil, and somewhere, there must be elements of that inside me. I'd be afraid of what I might do."  
  
Sasha's fury had disappeared. She was beginning to see herself in Jano. The fear of people and what she might do to them if the demons inside her got loose. The deprivation of a parents love and affection and the darkness that it caused. The scars that past experiences had inflicted. The overwhelming helplessness and blackness that she knew about was surfacing in Jano. She could see it radiating from him and it was as though she was inside him. As though she too, was disappearing beneath the cold black waters of fear and the mixed emotions left by the past. She found herself being dragged back to her own childhood; the beatings and harsh words. The blood that her body had lost and the bruises on her face. The times when her father had been out and her mother would hug her close. The countless times that she had been left to sleep outside in the pouring rain and the day she escaped from it all. These images surfaced and Sasha felt some of the blackness that she could see in Jano. The helplessness in his facial expression tore at her heart.  
  
iYou with the sad eyes  
Don't be discouraged  
Oh I realise  
It's hard to take courage.  
In a world full of people  
You can lose sight of it all  
And the darkness inside you  
Can make you feel so small./i  
  
Jano appeared to have cried as much as he could. His voice was quiet and Rayman and Sasha listened to him.  
  
"I never actually minded being here, except at the very beginning. I soon began to adapt to it and I didn't mind so much. When people came here, the traps and caterpillars used to take care of them but as time went on, they began to get to the stage were they fought me. I always chased people who did not intend to unleash the creatures down a route that led to an exit and they escaped. I have had to kill some people because of the reasons they have had for coming here. Like I have said before, Rayman has been the only person to defeat me and it was when he came back to see me that I realised what I was missing. I saw what was going on in the world through him and I wanted to be part of it but."  
  
iBut I see your true colours  
Shining through.  
I see your true colours  
And that's why we love you  
So don't be afraid to let them show  
Your true colours  
True colours are beautiful  
Like a rainbow./i  
  
Jano trailed off at the scornful expression on Rayman's face.  
  
"Is that why you didn't want to talk to us? Because you thought that we would turn on you?" This was the reaction Jano had feared.  
  
"Yes." Rayman rolled his eyes.  
  
"Y'know something, that is the craziest excuse I have ever heard! Of course it was going to bother you, seeing a world that you can't be part of! I don't turn on people for reasons like that! If I did I wouldn't be much of a friend would I?"  
  
Jano hadn't expected this reaction and the relief on his face was obvious. "Is that the only reason that you didn't talk to us before?"  
  
"Uh well, no." Jano glanced at Sasha. "You see, I'm afraid of-" He didn't get to finish, as his words were lost amid Sasha and Rayman's hysterical laughter. They had guessed what he was going to say and found it hilarious. With much effort, Sasha composed herself and spoke.  
  
"You're afraid of me? What on earth for?"  
  
"What for? Well unless I'm mistaken, you don't get to be Lara Crofts stand in by being useless in the firearms department! Correct me if I'm wrong."  
  
Sasha stared for a moment, then dissolved into one of her rare giggling fits.  
  
"Jano, I couldn't hit a barn door from a metre away! Before I got transported here, I was about to start training! The reason I'm her stand in is because of my martial arts! If I tried to shoot someone in the head, it'd probably hit him in the foot, if at all!"  
  
Jano stared at Sasha and Rayman. Laughter was not something he was used to and he waited until they had calmed down.  
  
"Listen Jano, I need straight answers. Do you want to see the outside world?"  
  
"More than anything."  
  
"Do you want to get out of this place?"  
  
"Yes." Sasha scrutinised his face.  
  
iShow me a smile then.  
Don't be unhappy, can't remember  
When I last saw you laughing.  
If this place makes you crazy  
And you've taken all you can bear.  
You call me up  
'cos I'll always be there./i  
  
Sasha got up without another word, took a flaming torch from one of the walls and exited the cave. Rayman and Jano listened to her storming away and heard her cursing at the remaining caterpillars. They listened until her footsteps faded away and looked at each other.  
  
"Where's she going?" Rayman left the question unanswered. He knew perfectly well where she was going and why but he couldn't raise Jano's hopes. Not yet. 


	2. Chapter two

True Colours.

Chapter 2.

A/N: This chapter won't have Jano in that much, but I don't think it's too bad. The next chapter should revolve around Sasha but Jano will be in that quite a bit.

"Damn!" Sasha landed on a sharp rock. The flaming torch was no longer a flaming torch, as it had been extinguished by the rain on the other side of the door. She rolled off of the rock and sat with her back against the cliffs. The rain pelted down without mercy and the darkness closed in on her. Sasha stared straight ahead but saw nothing but darkness She didn't realise how cold she was getting, nor did she seem worried about how she was going to find her way back. Her mind refused to focus on anything except the darkness, the darkness she had seen in Jano, the darkness she herself was hiding, the darkness, the heavy crushing darkness that took over your mind and consumed your soul. Darkness.

Sasha closed her eyes and buried her face in her knees. The tears kept coming and Sasha couldn't have stopped them if she had tried. She began to shiver violently and suddenly she was two people: Sasha Tomlinson and Sasha. Sasha was hovering above Sasha Tomlinson and watching her father raise his fist behind her. Sasha Tomlinson curled up tighter and braced herself for the attack. Sasha held her breath and watched the assault on her own body, saw every separate day of torture, saw every weapon used against her, saw every injury inflicted. She saw her father. And without warning he disappeared. A gentle comforting hand was placed on her shoulder and warmth flowed through her body, healing the injuries and clearing her mind. Sasha Tomlinson disappeared and Sasha found herself sitting back against the rock face. There was no element of Sasha Tomlinson left; she was Sasha through and through.

"It's going to be alright Sasha." Rayman's voice echoed and she saw his face. And then she saw herself, a small frightened child, no older than ten. There was her father coming to beat her. He raised his fist. Rayman reappeared and flung himself in front of ten year old Sasha, protecting her from the cruel, angry attacks of her father. The father disappeared and ten year old Sasha and Rayman looked at each other. Ten year old Sasha smiled and she gradually transformed into modern day Sasha; the happy Sasha. Or was she? Jano appeared next to her. He was crying and Sasha visualised what he had been through. The images disappeared and Sasha opened her eyes. The rain had stopped and although it was still pretty dark, she could see some light on the horizon. She stood up and Rayman appeared in her mind.

"Are you Ok?" Sasha swallowed and nodded.

"I'm Ok."

"Are you sure? Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, you can't leave Jano. I'll be ok." 

"Rayman smiled at her.

"You are a lot braver than I'll ever be." Sasha frowned and muttered something that he couldn't quite catch but six months of friendship with her told him that the word she had said was "Cobblers."

"If you want Jano to beat his demons you must beat yours first." Sasha brushed her fringe away from her face and shivered.

"Easier said than done unfortunately." Rayman nodded in agreement.

"I know you can do this Sasha."

"Do you? I wish I was so confident." Rayman's face vanished and Sasha was left alone. She began to walk, her head still spinning with the thoughts and emotions contained in it.

"Polokus, if you weren't invincible, I could quite cheerfully kill you."

*         *         *

"Is she Ok?"

"I think so. I invaded her thoughts without her knowing and the things she was thinking…" Rayman broke off and shuddered. "I think she's dealing with it but no-one should have to deal with something like that. Unless your name happens to be Admiral Razorbeard or Mister Dark that is." 

Jano didn't answer. Sasha had seemed fine before and now her past had been dragged up again. And it was all his fault. Rayman noticed the expression on his face and spoke sharply.

"Don't think it Jano."

*          *          *

Sasha stared up at the tree with her hands on her hips. Rayman's tree house was at the very top. The memories and stories that she had been subjected to had left her body shaky and her mind dazed, and Sasha didn't believe herself capable of climbing the tree without breaking her neck.

"How'm I going to get up there?" As though in reply to her question, her feet left the ground and she found herself floating upwards. Sasha watched the ground grow smaller and smaller and shut her eyes tight.

"I think climbing up would probably have been safer." She muttered. Rayman's face appeared in her mind.

"Just relax, you're nearly there." Sasha's eyes snapped open.

"I might've known you were behind that! How're you doing it?"

"Just transferring some of my power into you. There you go!"

Sasha stepped onto the platform, clearly glad to be standing on something solid.

"Thanks Rayman, but I think I'll climb down." Rayman smiled.

"Fair enough. Oh Sasha!" Sasha turned round.

"Hmm?" 

"Don't try to murder Polokus Ok? Jano wouldn't thank you for it." Sasha scowled.

"You really think I'd even _dream _of doing that?" Rayman smiled mischievously. 

"No. Just teasing. But you came to my house to drop off your weapons didn't you, just in case?"

"You've been invading my thoughts again!"

"Might've been." Rayman suddenly turned serious. "You will be Ok Sasha, I promise."

"Y'know something, sometimes your confidence is almost sickening!"

"I'm only confident when I've a right to be." Sasha shook her head doubtfully and disappeared into the house.

*           *          *

"Tell me she hasn't done anything stupid."

"She hasn't done anything stupid." Jano gave Rayman a look that was more of an X-ray.

"Tell me truthfully that she hasn't done anything stupid."

"No, I swear she hasn't. I helped her up the tree and she's going to climb down. She won't throw herself down it!" Said Rayman hastily as panic flared in Jano's eye. "Believe me, she got a big list of fun things to do and committing suicide isn't on it!"

*           *          *

Sasha looked around Rayman's tree house. It was a simple wooden affair, with just the bare essentials but she had loved it from day one. She glanced over at the extension that Polokus had created to accommodate for her. She wasn't sure that she could use it now, it felt like hypocrisy. Forcing her mind back to Jano and the horrible injustice that he had suffered, she stuck her guns in a cabinet and removed the knife from inside her boot. Sasha checked herself for any other object that she could use as a weapon. Although she didn't believe that she had any capacity to harm Polokus, she was taking no chances. Satisfied that she had disarmed herself completely, Sasha began the steep climb down whilst muttering the same seven words repeatedly to herself.

"I must not use my martial arts!"

*          *          *

Polokus listened carefully to the Teensie's complaints although he knew it off by heart already. That happened when the same complaint was repeated to you daily.

"He stole my crown, I am the king of the Teensies, _I _ must wear the crown!"

"You are not the king, I am!"

"No, it's me!" Polokus began to nod off against the wall behind him as they began to squabble among themselves. He drifted into a rather pleasant dream about the Teensie crown and a large sledgehammer and a furious voice cut across this wistful fantasy.

"POLOKUS!" Polokus awoke with a start and tried to get his eyes to focus.

"Well why don't you take it in turns to be the king?"

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Polokus blinked rapidly and Sasha came into focus, a very angry Sasha. The Teensies were no-where to be seen.

"I want a word with you pal. About the guardian of the cave of bad dreams. Jano. Why exactly did you banish him to the cave when he was nothing short of _a child_ and when he had done nothing wrong? Why?" Sasha voice had gone from furious to deadly calm.

"You… You've met him?"

"Oh I've met him alright. I've been his friend for three months. Rayman has met him. He's been Jano's friend for six months. We listened to him when no-one else would. He told us what you did to him." Sasha's voice had lowered to a venomous hiss with about a gallon of poison injected into every word she spoke.

"He told you about the attack?"

"Yes. He told me about the attack, which he had nothing to do with. The attack that he tried to warn you about." 

"He is a _Cyclopics Monstropes_! They are all the same!"

"The _Cyclopics Monstropes _that you are referring to took it upon himself to keep the creatures contained in the cave! He knew that if the creatures got loose, this world would be overrun with evil. This world is the one he lived in. This world is the one you created. This world is the one he cares about. Yes he does care!" Sasha raised her voice to drown out Polokus' objections. "The attack was an attempt to gain control over the world right? Wouldn't it make sense for him to let the creatures loose and try another attack if he was behind the first one? Answer me!" Polokus' reply was surprisingly fast to a difficult question.

"I do not know how his mind works."

"Well me and Rayman do You have made him afraid to meet other people. You made him afraid to fight off the living nightmare you created for him. You never took the time to define his true colours did you? Well we have done it for you. We've done the donkey work, now you've got to do your part!" Polokus remained silent for a minute or so before answering.

"You do not give me orders Sasha."

Far away, Rayman winced.

"Bad move Polokus."

*          *          *

"What in the name of Polokus is that?" Rayman listened carefully.

"I think its Sasha."

"Well, is she riding the Grolgoth? She's making a lot of noise for a human! I'm going to see." Jano got no further than a few inches because Sasha barged straight into the cave, red faced and furious dragging Polokus behind her. Hence the unusual amount of noise.

"You, over here!" Sasha seized Jano's arm and dragged him nearer to Polokus.

"You, stay still!" Sasha grabbed the God and placed him in a headlock.

"Now look him in the eye, Polokus and tell him he deserves to be here! Go on, do it!" Polokus took a moment to regain the use of his mind. Had he not been invincible, the manner in which he had been brought to the cave would probably have killed him and he felt very battered. He raised his eyes to look into Jano's single yellow one. What he saw almost made him choke. He saw darkness and despair. He saw deprivation of a parent's affection. And worst of all, he saw innocence.

"Well tell him then! Tell him he deserves to be here!" The break in Sasha's voice cut through him like a steel knife.

"I can't!"

"Right." Not daring to look at Rayman or Jano, Sasha slowly released him. "So what're you going to do about it?"

"You can go free Cyclop… Uh Jano."

"I think you owe him an apology!" hissed Sasha in his ear.

"I… I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

"I forgave you the day I was thrown in here." The kindness in Jano's voice made Sasha want to slap him. "There is one problem though. Who is going to guard the cave while I'm out of it?"

"I will. Any time, any day." Sasha continued to glare at him.

"Are you happy with that Jano?"

"I am."

"Ok." She paused. "Get out!" Polokus didn't think twice. He walked out, wishing that he was still being dragged through the passages by Sasha. 

Sasha looked at Rayman and Jano. To her relief they were both smiling.

"Thanks Sasha."

"It's Ok Jano. Everything will be Ok now."

_I've seen your true colours,_

_Shining through._

_I've seen your true colours,_

_And that's why we love you._

_So don't be afraid to let them show._

_Your true colours._

_True colours are beautiful,_

_Like a rainbow._

A/N: One more chapter to go people! Or two. I'm not sure yet. R/R please!


	3. Chapter three

True Colours.  
  
Chapter three.  
  
Rayman glanced around the entrance to the main chamber of the cave and grinned as he spotted Jano, fast asleep in a shadowy corner and emitting gentle snores. Four zombie chickens kept drifting towards him but withdrew hastily every time he breathed out. Jano's face looked more peaceful than usual, the cold hardness that usually played across his features had evaporated. For the mean time anyway.  
  
Careful not to trip on the uneven floor, Rayman pushed an ancient cobweb aside and entered the cave, trying to make his footsteps as silent as the echo filled cave would allow. The zombie chickens whipped around and, forgetting all about Jano, targeted Rayman instead. He shot a dangerous glare at them and they stopped dead. On raising one of his fists slightly they scuttled off into a corner. Rayman paid no further attention to them and raised his hands as he got within feet of Jano, ready to cause an abrupt return from unconsciousness.  
  
"Don't even think about it!"  
  
Startled, Rayman jumped away in fright and almost raised energy spheres to his hands as Jano's eye shot open and his rough voice filled the cave. The zombie chickens were making a noise that sounded like a derisive laugh. Jano rolled over and grinned as Rayman laughed nervously, seeing the funny side after the initial heart attack.  
  
"So," He said, sitting down as Jano yawned and stretched. "How does it feel to be free?"  
  
"Odd. Four hundred years of being imprisoned in here, next thing you know, you've got an irate Sasha telling the spirit of the world what to do."  
  
Rayman's face darkened slightly.  
  
"She's feeling really guilty about that actually." Rayman changed his voice into a tone uncannily like Sasha's. "'But I could've really hurt him, there's no excuse for what I did!' No matter how many times I tell her that he deserved it, she won't forgive herself."  
  
Jano sighed.  
  
"Is there any such thing as someone having too good a heart?"  
  
"Oh yes."  
  
A silence fell upon the two friends, the light-hearted atmosphere killed as both their thoughts turned to Sasha. It was several seconds until Rayman shook himself and remembered why he had come to the cave in the first place.  
  
"Oh!" He exclaimed suddenly, making Jano jump. "I almost forgot. You're coming to the Fairy Council to have it officially recorded that you're innocent!"  
  
Jano's eye widened slightly at this dramatic announcement. Clearly, this had been decided between Rayman and Sasha last night. It was all very well being able to walk out of his prison after four hundred years but actually doing so was a different matter entirely.  
  
As though Rayman could hear what was going on in Jano's mind, he began to speak hurriedly.  
  
"Jano, it may as well be now that you come out of here. Start as you mean to go on. If you don't, you'll be thinking about going out forever, but you never will."  
  
"You're right." Jano sighed. "You are right and I know it. Alright, I'll come voluntarily. You don't need to call Sasha to, uh. 'convince me.'"  
  
Rayman grinned.  
  
"I did have her on hold!" He teased.  
  
"Do I have to call Polokus?"  
  
"No, I've already.." Rayman's sentence was interrupted by Polokus strolling into the cave.  
  
"Arranged it." Rayman finished.  
  
Polokus smiled at Jano who returned it with a smile of his own, then turned to Rayman.  
  
"Sasha's waiting for you two."  
  
"Impatiently, no doubt. C'mon Jano."  
  
The God watched the two leave and as he was left alone in the cave and shivered slightly at the injustice he had inflicted so long ago. But at least it was being put right now. He thought to himself, impatiently brushing away a curious zombie chicken with a gesture.  
  
* * *  
  
As they made their way through the woods, Jano was happy to listen as Rayman pointed out various things that he had never seen before.  
  
"Look up there, that's a Ludiv, a type of fairy." Jano glanced up and spotted a small creature with wings and dressed in purple cloths and an outsized hat. The Ludiv hovered above them and waved at Rayman. Rayman smiled and waved back and the fairy then turned her attention on Jano and waved at him.  
  
There was a small delay, in which Jano was stunned that he wasn't being shunned by people. Here was a creature that could see exactly what he was and it was waving at him as though it had known him for years! Aware that both the Ludiv and Rayman were giving him funny looks, Jano hastily raised his hand and waved back. The Ludiv smiled and disappeared in a shower of silver and gold glitter.  
  
"That's not the reaction I expected." Jano muttered, as Rayman brushed glitter out of his hair.  
  
They continued walking and Jano couldn't stop himself from looking in wonder at the simplest things like healthy trees and wild animals wandering around the wood. The closest thing Jano had seen to wild animals were zombie chickens and what he was seeing now was somewhat different.  
  
"Where does that lead to?" Rayman's eyes followed Jano's pointing finger along a pathway that led to the east of his tree.  
  
"That leads to the beach. It's called Whale Bay. Sasha loves to go swimming with Carmen there. Carmen's a whale." He added, answering Jano's questioning glance. "You'll have to come with us sometime when we go there, we sometimes take a picnic and it's lovely."  
  
They had walked out of the woods now and Sasha's voice was audible.  
  
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Rayman and Jano drew closer and saw that she had enlisted Clark's help with her martial arts practice. Clark was holding a kick-pad and Sasha was attacking it furiously, bringing her knee up beneath it with such strength that even Clark's muscular arms jerked slightly as she struck.  
  
"Ok, roundhouse please!" Clark switched the position of the pad and Sasha sank into a combat stance. She raised her fists into a defence position and concentrated for a second, her eyes fixed on her target. Then, bringing her lower hand swinging downwards, she leapt into the air and slammed the top of her foot into the pad in an immaculate flying roundhouse.  
  
"Ok, cheers Clark." Sasha gasped, leaning against the tree.  
  
Clark slung the pad down against the tree and nodded before he went on his way.  
  
"Hi Sasha!" Sasha jumped around as Rayman addressed her and just one look at her face was enough for someone to tell that she was in a foul mood. But the scowl disappeared from her face as her eyes alighted on Jano.  
  
"Hi! Are you ready?"  
  
* * *  
  
It was a silent group that entered the Fairy Council. Jano was silent because he was secretly worrying about maybe meeting the very same people who had imprisoned him so long ago, Rayman was silent because he was thinking about the injustice that had been caused in the very place he was standing in. And Sasha. Her face was impassive and no-one could read her inner thoughts by looking at her face unless she wished it so.  
  
Jano stopped moving as he entered the Council and Rayman and Sasha stopped beside him. Two Grand Minimus Teensies and one Ludiv were standing a few metres away, waiting for Jano and one other figure stood slightly apart from the others.  
  
She was beautiful. She was a fairy but a fairy unlike any Jano had ever heard of. She was taller than average, towering high above himself and Rayman and a head shorter than Sasha. Her shining purple hair just touched her shoulders and a she had a long tail of the same colour. And her eyes. they were big and full of spirit and power. She seemed so familiar, like Jano had seen her before in a far away dream, a far away memory.  
  
She began to walk slowly to meet them and Jano closed his eye, remembering something that he had been desperately trying to forget for four hundred years...  
  
iThe Justice Chamber was a part of the world unknown to most. It was very rarely needed and as no-one who had been inside it, save Polokus and the Council, had escaped with their freedom no inhabitants of the world knew about it.  
  
It was situated deep underground the Council and was little more than a dirty cave, which would be considered an embarrassment to the perfection of the paradise above it. Candles provided flickering light and shadows were cast across the faces of the four council members and Polokus, giving them a strangely ominous, sinister look.  
  
A young Jano stood before the five magical beings, absolutely terrified but still stubbornly repeating that he was innocent, that he was not part of the attack.  
  
"Cyclopics Monstropes!" Polokus' voice echoed across the chamber. Jano stiffened. Not once had they called him by his real name. "We will now pass judgement. Ariadni!"  
  
Jano raised his eye to the four judges towering above him, sitting at a high wooden table. All of their faces were concealed in shadow but he could feel their eyes boring into him.  
  
The first judge, Ariadni presumably, spoke to the silent room.  
  
"Guilty!"  
  
Jano's heart sank. He felt like he was sinking slowly to the bottom of a very deep ocean, surrounded by blackness and his lungs were being crushed by lack of air which lay so tantalisingly above him. The light was receding.  
  
Jano knew that Polokus was calling upon the next two judges to pass their verdict but he couldn't hear them, nor did he need to. He already knew his sentence.  
  
"Ly!"  
  
The final judge leaned forwards so she was illuminated. Jano suppressed a gasp as he clearly saw one of the people who were judging him.  
  
Ly was a fairy, fairly young by the looks of her and very unusual. Her body was decorated in deep purple markings and she had a tail of a lighter shade of purple and hair to match. She was looking down on. No, she was looking at him, not down on him and her catlike eyes seemed to be searching his soul. Jano could sense the power held within her and he stood transfixed.  
  
After what seemed an eternity, she turned her head to look at Polokus and in a clear, carrying voice said:  
  
"Not guilty!"  
  
An unexplainable happiness flooded inside Jano. It made no difference, the majority thought him guilty but here was someone who thought him innocent.!  
  
Polokus began to tell the room the verdict and summarise the trial but his voice was just meaningless noise in Jano's ears. His entire attention was fixed on Ly, and her entire attention was fixed on him. The other three judges were listening to Polokus and no-one noticed as Ly slipped down from her chair and knelt in front of Jano.  
  
"I'm so sorry." She whispered. "I'm so sorry. You're not guilty, there's no blackness in your soul. You will be imprisoned and I cannot prevent that but remember." Ly paused and took a tentative glance towards Polokus. Seeing that he was still summarising the trial, she continued. "One day, many years from now, everything will turn out right. Hold on to that in your moments of darkest despair." /I  
  
Jano's eye flickered open and Ly was standing directly in front of him, looking older but still possessing that same breath-taking beauty. His face twisted into the first true smile with all the feeling that every one of his false smiles tried to echo.  
  
"Hello Ly."  
  
"Hello Jano."  
  
* * *  
  
"Did you see her go?"  
  
"No, but I know where she went."  
  
Rayman and Jano hurried through the woods, heading back to the cave. Clearing Jano's name had taken longer than had been anticipated, as it involved a lot of long-winded paper work and Sasha had disappeared during the tedious process.  
  
The two entered the cave just in time to see Sasha and Polokus emerging from an inner chamber. Rayman shot Jano a told-you-so kind of look.  
  
"Even so, you still should have decked me Polokus." Sasha was saying.  
  
"Nothing of the sort."  
  
Jano smiled. Just as Ly had promised so long ago, everything had turned out right, no matter how much he had doubted her words since they had been spoken. Everything in the world was perfect. Everything.  
  
iI've seen my true colours,  
Shining through,  
I've seen my true colours,  
And that's why I've come through,  
And I'm not afraid,  
To let them show,  
My true colours, true colours,  
They're beautiful,  
Like a rainbow. /i 


End file.
